Another center of Haryana culture is Bhiwani

This is the gateway to Rajasthan. It lies in the midst of what was once a desert. Like all old towns, it is dominated by temples and havelis. The businessmen of Bhiwani went out to Calcutta, Bombay and other cities in search of fortunes. With the money earned in these places they built large houses, temples and dharamshalas in Bhiwani.

A window on the Pinjore gardens, these Mughal style gardens were laid out by Fidai khan (17th century), governor of Sirhind. Haryana has now become a popular tourist’s paradise. The Haryana Tourist Corporation has won the Pacific Area Corporation’s award for `outstanding work in promoting tourism facilities.

The rest –house here is perched on a mound and during the rains one can see an unending stretch of water. Flood waters have now been controlled, deserts disappeared. But the rest-house retains its old –world charm. Close by is an Asoka pillar. Unfortunately, it was the originally inscription on it has been erased and superimposed in Arabic, by one giving the genealogy of Firoze Shah Tughlaq. It is five meters high stands in the midst of the idgah.

After leaving fatehabad, one passes through Agroha (the land of Agarwals) and sirsa, a modern town. The latter acquired prominence when the British introduced railway and canals during the last hundred years of their reign. The area between Sirsa and Dabbwali is the rich cotton belt of Haryana. The Sirsa market provides a fascinating mingling of bargis, Jats, Bishnois, Banias and Sikh settlers.